Plots and Consequences
by Rapunzel4
Summary: After Galaxia has been defeated, Seiya unexpectedly returns to Earth. He seeks out Setsuna and makes a rather interesting proposition... On haitus indefinitely
1. An Unexpected Visitor

Sailor Moon and its characters do not belong to me. Warnings: possibly non-canon pairings, possible OOC, minimal hints of shoujo ai  
  
Plots and Consequences  
By Rapunzel  
  
Chapter 1: An Unexpected Visitor  
  
The knock at the front door drew Setsuna out of her reverie.  
  
"I'll get it!" Hotaru cried, running to answer the door with the enthusiasm that only the young can muster. Setsuna smiled slightly as her adoptive daughter charged past her. It reminded her of before Small Lady had returned to her proper time. She had come over to play with Hotaru as often as possible, and Hotaru had greeted her with the energy she was now displaying.  
  
Shaking her head at her daughter, Setsuna returned to the magazine she had been reading. Whoever was at the door, it was no concern of hers. The only visitors likely to involve her were Usagi and the other girls, and Hotaru would certainly alert her if it was them. Any other callers wouldn't have anything to do with her.  
  
Or so she thought.  
  
"Setsuna-mama! It's for you!" Hotaru called.  
  
"For me?" Setsuna said in mild surprise.  
  
Her spoken reply turned out to be too soft for Hotaru to hear from her station at the door. "What, Setsuna-mama?"  
  
"I said I'm coming!" Setsuna called back. Sighing, she abandoned her magazine and headed for the front door. Idly, she wondered what this was all about. Who in the world would be visiting her? She had few friends outside of her fellow soldiers.  
  
Just before she reached her destination, she was brought up short by Haruka's voice. Haruka's very cold voice.  
  
"What the hell is he doing here?"  
  
Quickening her pace, Setsuna came through the doorway to see one of the last people she had expected to see standing in her living room.  
  
Kou Seiya.  
  
Well, that explained Haruka's icy manner at least. Her blond housemate was glaring at their guest and standing rather pointedly between him and Michiru. Seiya, for his part, seemed to be doing his best to ignore her. Setsuna had to admire him; it couldn't be easy to act nonchalant with those eyes attempting to burn holes through his head.  
  
"You wanted to see me?" She couldn't quite keep the note of surprise out of her voice. Why in the world would he want to see her?  
  
"Actually, yes." Seiya gave her a winning smile of the type that had made teenage girls swoon. Setsuna was not so easily swayed.  
  
"Why don't we sit in here?" she suggested calmly, gesturing towards the dinning room. Anywhere to get him away from Haruka. She couldn't imagine that keeping the two of them in such close quarters was a good idea. Seiya was calm enough, but Haruka looked ready to deck someone. Besides, she highly doubted that Seiya would discuss whatever he'd come to talk to her about in front of such a hostile audience.  
  
He gave her a grateful smile and followed her.  
  
Once the door was shut behind them, Setsuna turned on him. "What do you want with me?" she demanded.  
  
"Now hold on just a minute." Seiya raised his hands in a defensive manner. "Don't get all hostile on me. I got enough of that from Haruka. I don't know what her problem is. The war is all over; you'd think she'd know by now that I'm not her enemy."  
  
"That has nothing to do with her behavior," Setsuna told him. "She still hasn't forgiven you for the dressing room incident."  
  
Seiya groaned and hid his face in his hands. "You heard about that, did you?"  
  
"Of course," she answered. "I live with the woman; I got to hear about it in great detail."  
  
"In my defense," Seiya said, "Michiru was the one who invited me."  
  
"I don't care one way or the other," Setsuna said. "I'm just telling you why she doesn't like you. Now, what are you doing back here? I thought you all left for Kinmoku."  
  
"We did," he answered. "And now I'm back, with the princess' permission, of course. I realized that what I want isn't on Kinmoku."  
  
"Ah." Setsuna made an understanding noise. "Usagi." It was not a question.  
  
"Usagi," Seiya repeated with a weary sigh. "And now I need your help."  
  
"I think that you should go home," Setsuna said seriously. "There's nothing for you here. You had your best chance already."  
  
"Now just hear me out," Seiya protested. "I realize I never actually got where I wanted to with her before, but I really think I should try again."  
  
"What makes you think you'll do any better than you did last time?"  
  
"Well, for one thing, Taiki and Yaten won't be here this time. They were hardly a help to me when it came to winning Usagi."  
  
Setsuna shook her head. "Be that as it may, you're still worse off. Mamoru's here now, and if you think she's going to abandon him for you, you're mad."  
  
"I have a plan for that too," Seiya said.  
  
Setsuna's eyes narrowed sharply. "If your plan involves harm coming to Mamoru in any way, shape or form, you can just get out now. In fact, I'd advise you to leave the planet altogether."  
  
To her surprise, a smile spread across Seiya's face at those words.  
  
"I had heard," he muttered. "But I wasn't sure if it was true. Now I know."  
  
"Know what?" Setsuna sounded irritated. He didn't seem to be taking her very seriously.  
  
"That you love Mamoru."  
  
That simple sentence succeeded in thoroughly shocking her. "Who told you that?" she demanded.  
  
He waved that away. "It was just a rumor I heard."  
  
"Who told you?" she repeated through gritted teeth.  
  
"It's not important," he said. "The point is, I thought you and I might be in a position to help each other."  
  
"You thought wrong," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him.  
  
"Listen to me," he insisted. "Usagi cares for me, I know she does."  
  
"She may," Setsuna said. "She cares for a lot of people."  
  
"I didn't mean it like that," Seiya said, frowning. "I mean I think that she loves me, but she won't act on it because that would be betraying Mamoru. But if he were to hook up with someone else, it would be alright."  
  
"So you get me to play the evil seducer while you comfort the distraught girlfriend?" Setsuna eyed him with distaste. "I refuse."  
  
"Actually," he answered, "I was thinking that you would comfort the distraught boyfriend."  
  
She raised one eyebrow skeptically. "I don't see how that's going to happen."  
  
"As I said, I think Usagi really cares for me. If I can get her to stray from Mamoru, even just a little bit, Mamoru will naturally be upset. Then you can step in to comfort him. I'm sure he'll go for you, especially if he's having troubles of the romantic sort."  
  
"Mamoru doesn't want me!" Setsuna cried. "He's made that abundantly clear!"  
  
"I don't see why not," Seiya said. "You're an attractive woman."  
  
"Only to desperate fools like you," was the biting answer. "Anyway, it will never work. You do realize that you're trying to disrupt a couple joined together by destiny."  
  
Seiya stared at her for a moment, then started laughing. "Destiny?" he said. "What nonsense."  
  
"Why does everyone scoff when I say that?" Setsuna muttered. (1)  
  
"Just think," Seiya said persuasively. "If we succeed, you'll have Mamoru."  
  
Setsuna opened her mouth to object, then shut it again. Finally, she said, rather grudgingly, "And how exactly did you plan on getting Usagi to admit that she cares for you?"  
  
"That's simple," Seiya said. "By making her jealous."  
  
"And how will you do that?"  
  
"By pretending to be together with you."  
  
Setsuna choked. "What?!"  
  
"It will give you one more thing in common with Mamoru, if nothing else," Seiya continued on, unconcerned by her reaction. "You'll both be the wronged partner."  
  
"You're mad," Setsuna said scornfully.  
  
"No," he answered her seriously. "I'm desperate. I didn't realize until I got back to Kinmoku just how lonely I was. You, if anyone, should know what it's like to feel lonely. Please help me."  
  
Setsuna winced; that was hitting a little below the belt. But he was right, she did know what it was like to be lonely. And while she thought that his hair-brained scheme had very little chance of being successful, there might still be a small chance...  
  
A chance to have what she'd always wanted. If it didn't work, then it didn't work, and there was no harm done, but if it did... Part of her objected, saying that it would be wrong to try and destroy something so beautiful, but if it worked out, then Usagi would be happy with Seiya, wouldn't she? She was grasping at straws, and she knew it, but she still couldn't pass up that chance, however slight.  
  
Seiya must have seen her indecision in her face. "Think it over," he said. "I'll be back to get an answer from you later."  
  
And he left her, sitting there, staring at nothing and thinking furiously.  
  
Tbc  
  
(1) This is a reference, however slight, to another SM fic of mine called "Golden".  
  
Author's Note: Well, the muse finally came back, and when she bit, this was what I got. I'm pretty sure I know where it's going, but I'm not at all sure how it's going to get there. In fact, I'm not sure I want to know how it's going to get there.  
  
Because I'm not sure whether this idea merits a story, I would greatly appreciate feedback. If you love it (or what there is of it so far) and want me to continue, please tell me so, and I'll think about it. If you hate it and think that it should never have been posted, please tell me that too, and I'll seriously consider taking it down. If I don't hear anything, I'm going to assume that everyone hated it but was too polite to say anything, and take it down anyway, and it will never appear on the face of the internet again. 


	2. The Plot Unfolds

Sailor Moon and its characters do not belong to me. Warnings: possibly non-canon pairings, possible OOC minimal hints of shoujo ai  
  
Plots and Consequences  
By Rapunzel  
  
Chapter 2: The Plot Unfolds  
  
True to his word, Seiya returned the next day to see what Setsuna had decided. The problem was that she hadn't decided anything. The more she thought about it, the crazier the whole thing seemed. She'd stayed up half the night, mind full of doubts and guilt at the mere idea of trying to compete with her princess. Seiya's parting shot about loneliness and the thread of hope that Mamoru might love her were the only things that kept her from refusing completely.  
  
When Seiya returned, she dragged him out of earshot of the others and hardly waited to close the door before saying, "I don't think I can do this."  
  
Seiya looked genuinely disappointed for a moment before he realized that her answer hadn't been an absolute "no". "Why not?" he asked.  
  
"For a lot of reasons."  
  
"Such as..."  
  
"For one thing," Setsuna said, "I still think that your chance of actually splitting them up is so small it doesn't even bear mentioning."  
  
Seiya shrugged. "No harm in trying."  
  
"And then I keep getting brought up short by the whole part where I have to pretend to date you."  
  
Seiya blinked.  
  
"It would seem rather sudden, wouldn't it?" Setsuna continued. "I mean, we never talked when you were on earth before, not really. Why now?"  
  
"Why not? Wasn't the only reason you disliked me before because you thought I had designs on your princess?"  
  
"You do have designs on my princess," Setsuna pointed out sourly. "That's why you're here."  
  
"You know what I mean," Seiya said impatiently. "You thought I was a threat. Well, now you know I'm not. What's the problem?"  
  
"I don't think I could convincingly date someone of such ambiguous sexuality."  
  
Seiya blinked. "Excuse me?"  
  
Setsuna blushed, but continued. "I mean, half the time, I can't decide whether you're a man or a woman."  
  
"You could say the same thing about Haruka," Seiya pointed out.  
  
"But not to the same extent. Anyway, you notice I'm not trying to date Haruka."  
  
Seiya nodded. She noticed that he wisely made no mention of bringing Michiru into it. Haruka would have had his head, assuming Michiru didn't kill him first.  
  
"I'm a man now," Seiya said, winking at her cheekily. "Isn't that enough?"  
  
Setsuna shook her head. "Not now that I've seen you take on female form. Anyway, even in a male body, you have mannerisms of both genders. All three of you were that way. Half the time I could have sworn your teammates suffered from PMS."  
  
Seiya laughed. "You're one to talk. What about Haruka? She's not exactly Ms. Cordial."  
  
"Haruka doesn't suffer from PMS," Setsuna said. "She's just naturally grouchy."  
  
"If I tried to act more like a man, would that help?"  
  
Setsuna shook her head. "I'm telling you, it's not convincing. There's no rhyme or reason to it."  
  
"Well, that's how it is with love sometimes," Seiya said. "What's so unconvincing about that?"  
  
Setsuna sighed heavily. She didn't protest further, but she still didn't look convinced.  
  
"You said there were several reasons," Seiya said. "Are there any more?"  
  
"Those are the main ones, but there is one more."  
  
"And that is..."  
  
"Haruka's going to flip when she hears that we're a couple."  
  
Seiya's face fell. "I hadn't thought of that," he admitted. His eyes stared off into the distance, no doubt imagining his unfortunate demise at Haruka's hands. "You get to tell her," he said. "She won't kill you."  
  
"Wait a minute!" Setsuna cried. "I haven't said yes yet!"  
  
"You said when," Seiya said seriously.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You said _when_ Haruka hears, not _if_ she hears. I think you've already decided."  
  
Setsuna tried to think of something to say to that, but came up blank.  
  
"So," Seiya went on, "do we have a deal?"  
  
Silence was taken as assent.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Setsuna muttered. "I can't believe I'm walking in on the arm of a transvestite just to try and win a lost cause."  
  
"Sh!" Seiya hissed at her. "Don't be so negative. It's not a lost cause. And I am not a transvestite!"  
  
"What would you call it then? Gender challenged?"  
  
Fortunately, Seiya had no time to reply to that, for he had to concentrate on putting on a convincing look for the other senshi. Linking his arm more firmly with Setsuna's, he took a deep breath and opened the door to the arcade.  
  
Setsuna quickly slipped on her normal mask of composure as she caught sight of Usagi and the other girls. This would be their first test of Seiya's plan, and it wouldn't do to appear nervous.  
  
When Usagi had heard that Seiya was back on the planet, she had insisted that everyone get together to welcome him. Since the arcade was a traditional meeting place for most of them, she decided to hold a group meeting there. Now, she was standing over by Mamoru, who was chatting to Motoki. Seiya's eyes immediately went to her, and Setsuna resisted the urge to smack him and tell him not to be too obvious about it.  
  
"Seiya-kun! Setsuna-san!" Usagi noticed and greeted them both. She seemed oblivious to the sight of their linked arms, but Setsuna noticed that all the others were surveying them with raised eyebrows. Haruka looked ready to gut someone. Only Hotaru seemed to notice the gesture without astonishment. Her pale face was inscrutable.  
  
"We're so glad you could come!" Usagi continued enthusiastically, still oblivious. Setsuna wished that she would notice and get it over with; she was feeling distinctly uncomfortable.  
  
"Did the others come back with you?" Minako asked eagerly.  
  
"Not this time," Seiya told her.  
  
Minako's face fell, but she mastered her disappointment after a moment. Setsuna had no doubt that she had been hoping to see Yaten.  
  
"Well, we're glad that you came back," Ami said politely.  
  
The others all piped up, echoing her sentiments with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Setsuna noticed that the coldest reception came from her housemates. Michiru's welcome was slightly less than convincing, and Haruka didn't say anything, opting to glare at Seiya instead. Hotaru softly murmured something that sounded vaguely like "Welcome back," but Setsuna wasn't sure.  
  
The group then split up into smaller sections. Seiya somehow managed to seat himself next to Usagi and began playing video games with her. Setsuna didn't bother keeping track of the movements of the others, her attention fixed on Mamoru. He was leaning against the wall and watching Usagi with a smile on his face. Setsuna felt her chest tighten. Why didn't he ever smile that way at her?  
  
She looked back to where he was looking, and saw Seiya laughing with Usagi over something the latter had said. To Setsuna, it was obvious that he was flirting, or at least trying to. She sent him a disgusted look which he didn't see. So much for sticking to the original plan...  
  
Something nudged her shoulder, and she turned around in surprise to see Haruka standing at her back. Normally, the other woman would have hit the racing games already, ready to defeat whatever poor sucker was fool enough to challenge her. Now, however, she stood next to Setsuna, tight lipped and straight backed, like she was trying to assert herself. When she turned to look to her other side, Michiru was standing quietly next to her.  
  
Sighing in resignation, Setsuna stood quietly between her housemates. The afternoon had never seemed longer.  
  
~*~*~  
  
As she watched Haruka pull away from the curb, Setsuna thought she felt a headache coming on. The afternoon had not gone at all as planned. After the initial entrance, Seiya had more or less ignored her. Several times, she had had to tug on his arm to get his attention, and remind him in hushed tones that they were supposed to be acting like a couple. Each time, Seiya had nodded solemnly and gone right back to watching Usagi. It was enough to make her want to bang her head into the nearest stationary object.  
  
And then there had been Haruka, who had seemed determined to stick by her all day. It seemed that her fellow soldier was trying to fill the roll of a protective older brother, which Setsuna thought was ridiculous, since she was several times older than Haruka. The only saving grace was that when she told Haruka that she could get home alone and didn't need a ride, Haruka had believed her and left her to her own devices.  
  
Seiya came ambling out and caught sight of her. "Oh, you're still here?"  
  
Setsuna gave him a hard look, then caught his arm and dragged him off to a side street where there were fewer people. "You," she told him sternly, "are not acting right."  
  
Seiya sighed. "I'm sorry," he said. "But I haven't seen her for a while, and I just..." He let that trail off, looking off at nothing.  
  
"I think that I should just let you go it alone. It was a mistake to get involved in this in the first place," Setsuna said.  
  
Seiya looked startled. "No, don't do that. I really do need your help."  
  
"Really," Setsuna repeated dryly. "I didn't think you needed me for whatever new plan you had."  
  
"Who said I had a new plan?"  
  
"Well, you're obviously not sticking to the old one," she snapped. "If you plan on making her jealous, you have to act like you actually care about me."  
  
Seiya sighed heavily. "I know," he said.  
  
"You're a performer," she pointed out. "Or at least you were. Surely you can manage a little acting."  
  
"I will."  
  
Somehow, she didn't believe him.  
  
~*~*~  
  
As she closed the door behind her, Setsuna wasn't very surprised to see Haruka sitting and trying to look casual. She had expected that Haruka would wait and corner her about Seiya. She had made her displeasure known all that afternoon, glaring at the long haired man every chance she got.  
  
Haruka stood when she saw that her housemate had returned, and Setsuna braced herself for the fury, the indignant questions, and the accusations.  
  
"If you want me to beat him up for you, just say the word."  
  
Setsuna blinked. That was definitely _not_ what she had expected.  
  
"You mean Seiya?"  
  
"Listen, Setsuna." Haruka was looking at her seriously. "He's not our enemy any more, and what you choose to do is your own business. But that man is a player. Women don't seem to matter. You, Michiru, Usagi, you're all the same to him."  
  
"Oh, I very much doubt that," Setsuna said with a sardonic smile.  
  
"You saw how he was acting today! He comes in acting like you're together, and then ignores you for the rest of the day! I don't think he's all that seriously attached to you."  
  
/I know he's not,/ Setsuna thought, but aloud she said, "Well, as you say, it's my business."  
  
Haruka gave her a hard look, but backed off. "It is. But if he hurts your feelings, just let me know, and I'll pound him into a pulp for you."  
  
Setsuna smiled slightly, surprised and a little touched by the offer. "Thank you, but I don't think that it will be necessary."  
  
"He'd better see to it that it isn't," Haruka muttered ominously, then turned and stalked out of the room.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Oh, welcome home. Did Haruka talk to you yet?" Michiru looked up from the vegetables she was slicing to put the question to Setsuna, who nodded.  
  
"She got me right as I came in. She was actually quite reasonable about the whole thing," Setsuna observed with mild surprise.  
  
Michiru smiled to herself and nodded sagely. "Good. We had a little talk before you got back about privacy and personal decisions."  
  
"Ah, that explains it." Setsuna smiled wryly. Of course, it had to be Michiru. She was the only one who could exert that kind of calming force on her partner.  
  
"She still offered to beat him up for me," Setsuna told her.  
  
Michiru laid the knife down on the cutting board and turned to face Setsuna. "She's just worried about you. I am too, for that matter. With the way he's fixated on Usagi, I'm not sure that Seiya's the best choice, and it is kind of sudden. But you will do as you see fit."  
  
Setsuna winced as Michiru brought home the flaw in their plan. She and Seiya simply didn't make a very convincing couple.  
  
"Is it really that hard to believe?" she murmured aloud.  
  
"Not really, I suppose," Michiru answered. "Maybe you just have a thing for dark haired, blue eyed men."  
  
Setsuna started violently, nearly knocking over a glass on the counter. "Who told you?"  
  
"No one told me," Michiru said. "I've been around you long enough to notice these things."  
  
"Does everyone know?"  
  
"No, I don't think so. Mamoru certainly doesn't know."  
  
"It wouldn't matter even if he did," Setsuna muttered gloomily. "He's destined to be with Usagi."  
  
"And you somehow always seem to end up with the short end of the stick," Michiru observed. "That's why Haruka and I are worried about you."  
  
Setsuna sighed heavily. It felt like her headache was coming back. "Send someone up to get me for dinner, will you please? I think I'm going to go take a nap."  
  
/After this day, goodness knows I need one./  
  
tbc  
  
Author's Ramblings: Well, thank you to everyone who reviewed. Some of the replies I got were quite impassioned, and many of you have expressed opinions as to where I should take the story. Let's just say that it should become obvious fairly soon which way it's going to go. 


	3. Mother and Daughter

Sailor Moon and its characters do not belong to me. Warnings: possibly non-canon pairings, possible OOC, minimal hints of shoujo ai Author's Note: I have reached the conclusion that this entire thing was probably spawned by me reading too much Marmalade Boy.  
  
Plots and Consequences  
By Rapunzel  
  
Chapter 3: Mother and Daughter  
  
"Setsuna-mama?"  
  
Setsuna paused, her hairbrush frozen above her hair. "What is it, Hotaru?"  
  
Closing the door quietly behind her, Hotaru shuffled quietly into the room and over to the bed where Setsuna was sitting. Sitting down next to her mother, she leaned gently against the older woman. Surprised, Setsuna accepted the offer and put her arms around the girl in a hug. Hotaru accepted displays of affection without much fuss, but she rarely initiated them.  
  
"Hime-chan?" She let the questioning note enter her voice.  
  
"Setsuna-mama," the child began, "why are you sticking with Seiya?"  
  
Setsuna blinked. After having been interrogated by Haruka and Michiru already, she had not expected Hotaru to start too. "Why, Hotaru-chan, do you not like Seiya?"  
  
"I think he's using you," she answered.  
  
Stiffening slightly, Setsuna said cautiously, "What makes you say that?"  
  
"Because I heard him talking to you the first day he came over."  
  
Setsuna froze in horror.  
  
Feeling her mother's reaction, Hotaru twisted her neck to peer up into Setsuna's face. "Setsuna-mama?"  
  
"Have you mentioned this to anyone else?"  
  
"No," Hotaru answered.  
  
Setsuna let out a shaky breath of relief. She was more or less committed to the scheme now, and the thought of anyone, especially Usagi, finding out about it was a terrifying prospect.  
  
"Setsuna-mama," Hotaru went on, "why are you doing this?"  
  
Sighing heavily, she told her, "Because I'm lonely."  
  
"I don't understand," Hotaru said. "You shouldn't be lonely. You have Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama and me."  
  
"I know, Hime-chan," Setsuna said wearily. "But sometimes that's just not enough."  
  
"I don't understand," Hotaru repeated.  
  
"No, I know you don't." She sighed again. "It's a grow-up thing."  
  
Hotaru made a face and Setsuna chuckled. "I know you hate it when we say that, but it really is."  
  
"Try me," Hotaru said.  
  
"Alright," Setsuna said. "Do you think that your Haruka-papa could be happy if Michiru were to go away? I mean really happy."  
  
"No," Hotaru answered at once.  
  
"Even if she still had you and me here to keep her company?"  
  
"But Haruka-papa really loves Michiru-mama."  
  
"Exactly," Setsuna said.  
  
Hotaru considered that and all its implications for a moment. "But Usagi will be sad if Mamoru leaves her."  
  
"I know," Setsuna said burying her face in her hands. "That's what stopped me before. I hoped that with Seiya... But I know it will make her sad."  
  
Hotaru stared at her. The question hung unspoken in the air. If you know it will make her sad, then why are you doing it?  
  
"I guess you thing I'm selfish," Setsuna said softly. "I am, I suppose."  
  
Hotaru didn't answer, but continued to look at her surrogate mother, her gaze focused inward as though she were contemplating something.  
  
"I won't ask you not to tell anyone," Setsuna said quietly. "That wouldn't be fair. Just because I've turned traitor doesn't mean you have to as well."  
  
Nodding silently, Hotaru rose from her place and moved to the door. Opening it, she stood for a moment, silhouetted in the light from the hall, before closing the door and walking quietly to her room.  
  
Behind her, Setsuna set down her hairbrush and drew her knees to her chest in a gesture of hopeless despair.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Setsuna, are you feeling quite all right?"  
  
Starting, Setsuna turned to face Michiru. "Yes, of course."  
  
Michiru frown at her, but didn't press the issue. Instead, she turned to Haruka and began conversing with her in low tones.  
  
They were all sitting at a long table in a small tea shop, and most of the other girls were chatting happily. It was another get-together proposed by Usagi, and everyone was there, including Seiya, who sat to her right. Incidentally, Usagi was sitting on his other side, and Mamoru right next to her. Setsuna thought that she was beginning to detect some tension in that quarter, but she wasn't sure. She herself was having trouble meeting anyone's eyes.  
  
On her left, where Michiru sat between her and Haruka, she heard the murmuring end in curses and a mutter that sounded like "That jerk!" She had no doubt that they were talking about Seiya. They were putting her despondency down to jealousy because Seiya was still focused on Usagi, and had been for over a half an hour.  
  
In reality, her listlessness had much more to do with the dark haired child sitting next to Haruka at the end of the table. Hotaru hadn't said anything to Usagi yet, but Setsuna figured that it was only a matter of time. She didn't feel anger, only a sick sense of helpless dread. After all, who could fault the child for being more loyal to her princess than her mother was?  
  
"...ne, Setsuna-san?"  
  
"Huh?" Setsuna quickly brought her thoughts back to earth with a bump.  
  
"I said," Usagi repeated, "that it's great that Seiya-kun will be spending so much time on Earth with us."  
  
"Oh, yes, of course." Setsuna agreed politely. Her thoughts, however, ran along quite a different line. /Oh, I wish that creep had never come back to Earth at all!/  
  
Usagi, perhaps sensing the insincerity of her reply, sent her a worried look. "Setsuna-san, are you feeling all right?"  
  
"Fine," Setsuna said dully, swirling her tea in its cup and watching the effect absentmindedly.  
  
In reality, she was not fine. The afternoon was beginning to seem tortuously long. She almost wished that Hotaru would just tell Usagi already and get it over with. At the same time, she wished that she wouldn't. She didn't want to face the shame, the rebuke from her fellow soldiers, and Usagi's reaction. Usagi wouldn't hate her, she was fairly sure of that. But she would give her that sad, disappointed look... Setsuna shuddered. She'd give anything to avoid seeing that look.  
  
For someone who was supposed to keep track of time, she had a lot of trouble that afternoon. Minutes seemed to stretch on forever, but when she considered that each one might be her last moment of grace, they flew through her fingers. Conversations went on around her, tea cups were emptied and refilled, and she let it all go by, waiting for Hotaru to speak.  
  
But Hotaru did not speak.  
  
The afternoon progressed, and still the child sat and said nothing. Finally, everyone got ready to leave. Setsuna kept waiting for Hotaru to go up to Usagi, or ask to speak to her alone, but she didn't. Instead, she simply said goodbye to everyone in turn, including Seiya. Haruka and Michiru were not so polite; they both openly snubbed him.  
  
As she sat in the backseat of Haruka's car on the drive back to the house, Setsuna found herself sending frequent glances in Hotaru's direction. She was thoroughly confused.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Knocking on the door, she waited for Hotaru's quiet call of "Come in," before entering the bedroom. As she closed the door behind her, she turned to face the child.  
  
"Hotaru-chan, you didn't say anything to Usagi."  
  
"No, I didn't," Hotaru agreed.  
  
"But why?" Setsuna asked. "I didn't ask you to keep silent for me..."  
  
"Oh, Setsuna-mama," Hotaru said, making it sound as though Setsuna were the silliest person alive. "You don't have to ask me."  
  
Setsuna stared at the girl, dumbfounded. Hotaru seemed to be displaying more loyalty to her than she was to the princess. Setsuna shook her head dismissively; that was impossible. While she was certain the girl loved her, duty was duty, and Hotaru recognized that.  
  
"Why..." she began, but stopped. She wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to ask.  
  
Hotaru took advantage of her confusion by walking up and throwing her arms around Setsuna's waist. "It's okay," she said. "I have a plan.  
  
"Oh no. Not another plot." Still, Setsuna returned the hug, wondering what in the world Hotaru was up to.  
  
Hotaru made a face at her. "I'm not going to tell you what it is," she said. "But don't worry, Setsuna-mama. Everything will turn out okay. You'll see."  
  
As she stood hugging her daughter close to her, Setsuna could almost believe it.  
  
Tbc  
  
Author's ramblings: For those of you who are actually following this piece of insanity, don't expect another chapter any time soon. I'm going on vacation for a couple of weeks, and I probably won't post the next chapter until I get back. Don't worry, though; I'm not going to abandon it any time soon. 


	4. A Night Out

Sailor Moon and its characters do not belong to me. Warnings: possibly non-canon pairings, possible OOC, minimal hints of shoujo ai Author's Note: I have reached the conclusion that this entire thing was probably spawned by me reading too much Marmalade Boy.  
  
Plots and Consequences  
By Rapunzel  
  
Chapter 4: A Night Out  
  
Whatever Hotaru's plan was, Setsuna saw very little evidence of it over the next few days. Life seemed to go on as normal, until Seiya came to her and she dragged him off to a place where they had a little privacy for what she was beginning to think of as a "Council of War".  
  
Seiya was excited when he came to her, his eyes were sparkling, and he looked immensely pleased with himself. "I think it's working," he said as soon as they were alone.  
  
"Oh, really?" Setsuna raised an eyebrow at his statement. "What makes you say that?"  
  
"Well," he answered with a satisfied smile, "Usagi came up to me yesterday and told me that she doesn't think that I should be dating you."  
  
/She's probably right,/ Setsuna thought. Aloud, she said, "She actually said that?"  
  
Seiya's smile faded slightly. "Well, not in so many words. She supposedly made the suggestion out of concern for you."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes. She said that she was worried that I was ignoring you too much, and that if that was my attitude, it would be better if I just broke things off altogether." His smile had returned. "It was something along those lines."  
  
Setsuna sighed. Perhaps she was simply old, but she thought Seiya was being a little childish. "How do you know that concern for me wasn't her only motive?"  
  
Seiya gave her a dark look. "I know," he insisted.  
  
Setsuna rolled her eyes slightly, but didn't comment. /Definitely like a child, seeing only what he wants to see.../ Personally, she wasn't at all sure that Usagi's comment had meant what Seiya obviously thought it had meant, that she was jealous. After all, Usagi had seemed awfully concerned for her earlier.  
  
"Anyway," Seiya continued, "that wasn't the only encouragement I got. Mamoru glared at me on the way out."  
  
That should have been an encouraging sign that their plan was working on at least one person, but Setsuna only felt guilty upon hearing the news.  
  
"What do you think of that?" Seiya asked her.  
  
"I think he has every right to glare at you," she answered. "It's obvious that you're hitting on his girlfriend."  
  
"You're not still mad about that are you? About me not acting convincing enough? Because I intend to start fixing that."  
  
That took her by surprise. "Oh, really?"  
  
Seiya nodded. "I'm taking you out to dinner tonight, if you're not doing anything else."  
  
Setsuna blinked. "Well, that's a little sudden."  
  
"According to you, everything I do is sudden," Seiya pointed out with a wry smile. "So, are you on?"  
  
She considered. "Well, I'm not doing anything else tonight..."  
  
"Great. Be ready at seven."  
  
~*~*~  
  
At ten minutes to seven, chaos seemed to have the upper hand, and Setsuna was gritting her teeth and wondering how she had survived in such close quarters with Michiru before now. "Are you almost done?" she asked rather irritably.  
  
"Almost," Michiru said for the fifth time in the past half hour. "Hold still!"  
  
Setsuna tried, but she was growing impatient. She had come out of her room at six-thirty, dressed (she thought) appropriately for the occasion. Michiru, however, had had other ideas.  
  
"You can't go out on a date like that!" she had protested once Setsuna had disclosed the reason for her attire. "You're dressed like you're ready for a funeral!"  
  
Setsuna had looked down at her simple black dress in confusion. "What's wrong with black?"  
  
"Yeah," Haruka had put in from behind her. "What's wrong with it? Isn't black supposed to have a slimming effect?"  
  
Both Setsuna and Michiru had sent her baleful looks at that.  
  
"It's a date. You're supposed to look vibrant and attractive, not like someone just died!"  
  
The look on Michiru's face had told Setsuna that she wasn't getting out of this one. "What did you have in mind? If you put me in pink, I swear I'll kill you in the next battle and make it look like an accident."  
  
"Pink's not your color. Come on, We'll find something else more suitable." Michiru seemed knowledgeable on such subjects.  
  
So, Setsuna had relented and changed in to a slightly fancier red dress that Michiru deemed "more suitable." And, she reflected, it would not have been so bad if Michiru had been content to stop there. But no. Next had come the makeup.  
  
Setsuna was not terribly concerned with cosmetics. Her skin was clear and her complexion was good enough that she felt no desire to alter it. For most occasions, a little lipstick was all she required, and she had very little knowledge of the subject beyond that. For Michiru, however, the art of makeup was just that, an art. She had agonized over what colors would match her complexion or bring out her eyes. Setsuna had sat back and let her work, hoping that once she got it out of her system, that would be the end of it. But no. After that had been the hair.  
  
"You can't go out with it like that!" Michiru had protested. "That's how you always wear it!"  
  
"I like it this way," Setsuna had defended her simple bun. "It keeps most of it down, but enough up that it doesn't get in my way as much."  
  
"But this is a special occasion!"  
  
So, there she was, with ten minutes until Seiya arrived, assuming he wasn't early, and Michiru still fussing over her hair.  
  
"How in the world do you ever manage to get ready for parties?" Setsuna demanded as Michiru took down yet another style, declaring it to be "too boring."  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know," Haruka answered with a smirk. "You're getting off lightly. I've seen her take a half an hour for the makeup alone."  
  
"Michiru," Setsuna demanded as Michiru reached for the hairbrush again. "Would you please make up your mind? He'll be here soon."  
  
"Maybe he'll be late," Haruka suggested.  
  
"He'd better not be too late," Michiru muttered ominously. "Not after all the work we've put in."  
  
Setsuna didn't bother to mention that there was no "we"; Michiru was the one making and doing all the work.  
  
Hotaru came hurtling into the room, crying in a singsong voice, "It's five minutes to seven!" She stopped. "Wow, Setsuna-mama, you look great."  
  
"Thank you," Setsuna said. "Now could you kindly convince Michiru of that?"  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
"Oh dear," Michiru murmured distractedly. "That's probably him now. I guess this will have to do." She finished putting Setsuna's hair up in a twist and let her go.  
  
"This is better than the bun how?" Setsuna asked acidly. Almost half an hour of being poked and prodded at had made her extremely irritable, and the sound of the doorbell ringing again in the background didn't help.  
  
"Never mind that," Michiru said. She gave Setsuna a little shove, herding her towards the door. "Go knock him dead."  
  
"I can't believe you're encouraging me," Setsuna muttered.  
  
"Well, it's easier than trying to stop you," Haruka pointed out.  
  
As the doorbell rang a third time, they retreated, leaving her alone to deal with her supposed "boyfriend." Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.  
  
"Hi," Seiya said. "I was beginning to think your roommates had taken you hostage or something."  
  
Setsuna let out a very un-ladylike snort. "Pretty close," she said. "Michiru got a little carried away." She gestured at her clothes and hair.  
  
Seiya laughed, which made her feel oddly better about the whole thing. "Ah well," he said. "You're out of her clutches now. Here." He handed her a bouquet of red roses.  
  
"What's this?" Setsuna asked, taking the flowers curiously. "A touch of verisimilitude?"  
  
He nodded, answering, "To make it more convincing. Flowers are a traditional gift, and someone told me that red was your favorite color, so..." He trailed off, shrugging.  
  
"Well, thank you," she said, not quite sure how to accept the gesture. Of course, it had to be red roses, Mamoru's trademark. She wondered for a moment if he'd done it deliberately to remind her of what the stakes were. Then she shook off that thought. Taking the roses, she went inside long enough to leave them on the table, figuring that they would simply wilt if she took them with her. Returning, she said, "I'm ready."  
  
"Great."  
  
~*~*~  
  
"So, how am I doing?"  
  
Setsuna looked sideways at Seiya, who wasn't looking at her, but at the road as he drove her home. "Not badly," she admitted. "Of course, it's hard to go wrong with dinner, but..." She trailed off.  
  
"Good. I haven't taken very many girls out before, and I'm sure I need the practice."  
  
"For when you get Usagi, you mean?" she asked.  
  
"Something like that," he replied with a laugh.  
  
/Of course,/ she thought. /It always comes back to Usagi somehow./  
  
"Maybe we should try this again some time," Seiya surprised her by saying.  
  
After a moment, she quietly replied, "Maybe."  
  
As Seiya pulled up in front of the house she shared with the other outers, she found herself reluctant to get out of the car. She decided that it was because she didn't want to go in and face Haruka and Michiru, who were sure to ask her lots of questions.  
  
"Thank you for a lovely evening," she said.  
  
"You'd better thank your daughter," Seiya said.  
  
Setsuna's brows knitted in confusion. "Hotaru?"  
  
"She's the one who gave me the idea," he said. "She said it was strange that I was dating you and yet we never actually went on dates."  
  
"She said that?" Setsuna couldn't quite believe that. Keeping her secret was one thing, but would Hotaru actually help her with her plan? Surely not. /What in the world is that girl up to?/ she wondered.  
  
"...soon," Seiya was saying, and Setsuna realized that she had zoned out and hadn't been listening.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"I said I'll be seeing you soon," Seiya repeated, looking at her oddly.  
  
"Oh. Right." She got out of the car. "Good night," she said, closing the door. As she walked up to the house, she heard him pulling out into the night.  
  
"You're back early," Michiru said as Setsuna opened the door.  
  
"It was just dinner out," she answered. "It doesn't take that long to eat." She walked past the other woman, heading towards her room without a backward glance.  
  
"I put your flowers in a vase," Michiru called after her.  
  
"Thanks," she said tiredly.  
  
Reaching her room, she flopped backwards onto her bed, abandoning her composure. She was confused, and being a woman accustomed to knowing things, she found that she didn't like that feeling. There were too many plots going on. She was having enough trouble keeping her charade with Seiya straight to devote any energy trying to figure out what Hotaru was up to. Still, she couldn't help but wonder...  
  
Sighing heavily, she decided not to worry about it. After all, Hotaru was a clever girl. Whatever she was planning, it was sure to turn out for the best.  
  
Tbc 


	5. Conversations

Sailor Moon and its characters do not belong to me. Warnings: possibly non-canon pairings, possible OOC, minimal hints of shoujo ai Author's Note: I have reached the conclusion that this entire thing was probably spawned by me reading too much Marmalade Boy.  
  
Plots and Consequences  
By Rapunzel  
  
Chapter 5: Conversations  
  
While Setsuna's supposed "date" with Seiya had certainly not been anything spectacular, it did have the desired effect. Haruka and Michiru were more or less convinced that Seiya actually meant to pursue her, and they shared this opinion with the others. The next thing Setsuna knew, she had a house full of inners, all admiring the roses Seiya had given her.  
  
"They're lovely," Makoto said with a sigh. "I hope you remembered to clip the bottoms off underwater; they'll last longer that way."  
  
"Yes, otherwise there will be air bubbles in the vascular tissue," Ami put in.  
  
No one paid much attention to this statement, as they were used to hearing such things from Ami.  
  
"I wish my boyfriends would give me stuff like that," Minako said wistfully.  
  
Setsuna allowed herself a small smirk as she thought about the irony of that.  
  
"They're very nice, Setsuna-san," Usagi said, giving her a brilliant smile.  
  
/So much for jealousy,/ Setsuna thought. Somehow, the knowledge that their scheme was failing didn't disappoint her at all.  
  
After the inners were done gushing over her flowers and Michiru had escorted them to the door and seen them off, the bomb shell was dropped.  
  
"You usually ask them to stay to dinner if they're over this late," Haruka observed. "Why not tonight?"  
  
"Because Seiya's coming over for dinner, and I didn't think that it would be a good idea to have Usagi over at the same time," Michiru answered calmly.  
  
Setsuna froze, wondering when in the world this had been decided.  
  
Fortunately, Haruka beat her to the punch. "What do you mean, he's coming over for dinner? You mean he's coming _here_?!"  
  
"That's usually what coming over implies," Michiru said dryly.  
  
"When did you find this out?" Haruka sounded none too pleased at the idea.  
  
"This morning. I told him that we would love to have him."  
  
Haruka rounded on Setsuna. "Did you know about this?"  
  
Setsuna couldn't think of a thing to say.  
  
"Of course he would clear it with her first," Michiru said.  
  
"Of course," Setsuna repeated weakly.  
  
Haruka sat down at the table abruptly with a rather disgusted sigh. "Why am I always the last person to find out about these things?"  
  
"Because nobody wants to tell you, since they know you'll react badly," Michiru said.  
  
"That's no excuse," Haruka muttered sullenly.  
  
Setsuna excused herself quietly, not really wanting to listen to Haruka rant. She headed off to her bedroom, her place of sanctuary. However, on her way there, she ran into Hotaru. Eyeing the girl suspiciously, Setsuna decided that now was as good a time as any to test her theories as to what the child was up to.  
  
"I supposed Haruka will be going out tonight," she said casually.  
  
"Will she, Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru asked innocently. "Is she going to take Michiru-mama with her?"  
  
Setsuna studied the child closely. If she had any knowledge that something out of the ordinary was going to happen tonight, she didn't betray it.  
  
Aloud, she answered, "I don't think so. Michiru will want to be here to receive our guest."  
  
"But if we have a guest, then why would Haruka-papa go out?" Hotaru asked reasonably.  
  
"Because Seiya is our guest, and Haruka doesn't like him very much." Once again, Setsuna watched the child closely for reaction. Reading Hotaru was a task that gave mixed results. At times, nothing could be easier. Other times, such as now, Setsuna wasn't sure she would ever know what the girl was thinking.  
  
"I'm sure Haruka-papa will get over it," Hotaru said. "Anyway, Michiru- mama won't le her leave if we're having a guest."  
  
"You're probably right," Setsuna admitted. Moving past the girl, she went into her room and closed the door.  
  
/Now what?/ she thought. She was no nearer finding out Hotaru's plan than she had been. If the girl was trying to help her, she might easily have arranged for Seiya to be at dinner tonight. Yet Hotaru didn't seem to know anything about it. What in the world was the child playing at?  
  
Sighing, Setsuna flopped back onto her bed. It was going to be another long night.  
  
~*~*~  
  
As the hour of Seiya's arrival approached, Setsuna found herself becoming more and more nervous. She idly wondered how one dressed to receive one's supposed boyfriend, and finally decided on the black dress Michiru had discarded on her "date." The memory of the half an hour proceeding that event came back to her, and on an impulse, she locked the door. There was no way she was letting herself fall into Michiru's clutches again.  
  
Thus, when Michiru came up to fetch her, she found the door barred against her.  
  
"Setsuna, you're being ridiculous," Michiru protested.  
  
"No," Setsuna answered calmly through the door. "I'm being safe."  
  
"He'll be here any minute!"  
  
"I'll come out when he gets here, and not a moment sooner."  
  
There was a murmured question from the hallway, and then Michiru's voice, asking, "Haruka, will you please help me get her out of there? Seiya will be here any minute, and she may not even be presentable yet."  
  
"Why should I help you?" Haruka asked. "I'm on her side."  
  
In the background, Setsuna heard something that sounded like Hotaru giggling.  
  
"Fat lot of help you are," Michiru said sullenly, and Setsuna heard her stomping away from the door.  
  
"Setsuna?" It was Haruka this time. "It's safe to come out now."  
  
Setsuna, who was applying lipstick of a shade she favored but that Michiru would probably have discarded, answered, "Is he here yet?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then I'll stay where I am, thank you."  
  
There was a sigh, and then more footsteps as Haruka too left her in peace. Setsuna made a contented noise and studied herself in the mirror. She touched her hair, which was done up in its usual fashion. Really, she didn't understand Michiru's problem; _she_ thought that she looked just fine.  
  
"Setsuna-mama," Hotaru's voice came through the closed door. "He's here."  
  
Quickly, Setsuna unlocked the door and went out, heading towards the living room. She reached it just as the front doorbell rang. "I'll get it," she called, seeing that the only other person close to the door was Haruka. Better not to make her answer it.  
  
Upon opening the door and greeting Seiya, she was relieved to see that he was dressed rather casually as well. That would at least keep Michiru off her back a little longer. Also, he had no flowers with him this time. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed about that.  
  
"Please come in," she said politely.  
  
He smiled at her and entered. Then he looked over her shoulder and said, "Thank you for having me over."  
  
Setsuna turned around, surprised to see Michiru standing beside her shoulder. "You're right on time," she said. "Dinner is ready."  
  
Dinner was a surprisingly peaceful affair. Setsuna had expected a verbal battle to ensue as soon as Seiya and Haruka sat down. However, nothing of the sort happened. Conversation stayed mostly on safe and neutral topics, and no outbursts occurred. Afterwards, Setsuna realized that Michiru had arranged it that way, seating Seiya and Haruka as far apart as possible and steering the conversation herself so as to avoid any sensitive topics. Setsuna was grateful for her interference; at the same time, she was a little disappointed. With Michiru guiding the conversation, she had felt a little left out.  
  
Michiru, it seemed, had a plan to remedy that.  
  
"Why don't you and Seiya go for a walk while I get dessert ready?" she suggested.  
  
Setsuna stared at her. "A walk?"  
  
"Yes. A nice romantic moonlit stroll or something."  
  
Seiya, who had been listening to this exchange, remarked, "The moon's not going to rise for another couple of hours."  
  
"Well, I'm sure you two could still use some time alone," Michiru said, unperturbed. "Now get going," she added. "I don't want to see either of you back here for the next half an hour at least."  
  
So, with Michiru shooing them out the door, they left. Setsuna was at a loss. She wasn't exactly sure what one was supposed to do on a stroll aside from walk. To make matters worse, Seiya seemed to have no clue either. He was following her lead, which wasn't terribly helpful, since she had no particular destination in mind.  
  
For a while they walked along in a rather uncomfortable silence, neither one knowing what they were supposed to say. This continued until they reached the small park where Setsuna remembered taking Hotaru when she was younger. Seeing a bench, she sat down, and Seiya joined her. After a few more minutes of silence, he spoke.  
  
"Was she really serious about the whole half an hour thing?"  
  
Sighing, she answered, "I'm afraid so. That's Michiru for you."  
  
He leaned back, putting his hands behind his head. "Well then," he said. "I guess we've got some time to kill."  
  
Setsuna, who had never been that fond of the expression "killing time", merely shrugged.  
  
"So," Seiya went on, "tell me about yourself."  
  
That caught her off guard. "Myself?" she repeated uncertainly. After a moment, she said, "What's to tell?"  
  
"Your life story," Seiya said, rolling his eyes at her.  
  
No one had ever really asked her such a question, and so she had no idea what to answer. Thinking a bit, she said, "I'm the time guardian. That's my life in a nutshell."  
  
Seiya laughed. "Come on, you can do better than that!"  
  
By this time, she was getting flustered. What did he want from her? Her life story? She thought of the endless eons she had spent at the gates, where days ceased to matter and the world around her had forgotten she ever existed. She shuddered. There was no way she could put that into words, no way she could tell him about that. And yet was else was there to tell?  
  
"Hey," Seiya's voice cut into her thoughts. "Are you all right?" He was looking at her with concern.  
  
"I can't do better than that," she said quietly. "That's the sad part." She shivered again. Thinking of the gates always filled her with a strange sensation. It wasn't so much cold as it was numbness.  
  
Seiya was studying her carefully. "I'm sorry I asked," he said at last in a quiet voice.  
  
She had no reply to that.  
  
"I can tell you my life story, if you want," Seiya offered.  
  
He had meant it as an apology, but she couldn't bear the thought of hearing it, hearing just how miserable her life had been in comparison. "Not right now," she said.  
  
He looked confused, obviously not understanding her reasoning, but accepted it, and they sat in silence again.  
  
A breeze move through the park, and Setsuna shivered again. Almost unthinkingly, she shifted a little closer to the only available source of warmth, the person sitting at her side. If Seiya minded, he gave no sign of it.  
  
"What about your recent life?" he asked finally. "You must have lots of stories about Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru."  
  
She thought on that for a moment, and realized that she did. After a moment, she launched into a tale about Hotaru's early childhood and the various messes she had gotten herself into. Seiya listened and laughed in all the right places, and she gradually warmed to her subject. It felt good to have someone listen to her. Until then, she'd had no one to really tell those stories to. Haruka and Michiru had both been there, and thus remembered the events as well as she did, and Hotaru had no interest in hearing embarrassing stories from her early youth.  
  
When she had finished, he looked at his watch and said, "Well, I guess our half an hour's up. Think if we go back now, Michiru will kill us?"  
  
"She shouldn't," Setsuna answered. "Besides, she'll be upset if we miss dessert. Let's head back."  
  
He nodded, and they both stood. Slowly, in no hurry to be anywhere, they walked back towards the house, side by side.  
  
Tbc  
  
Author's notes: Alright, most of you have probably figured out where I'm going with this. And before all the Seiya/Usagi fans lynch me, I would just like to state, for the record, that I never actually said I was going to get them together. 


	6. Dubious Progress

Um, does anyone still remember this story? 

First, let me apologize for the incredibly long period between updates. I lost my inspiration for a while, and I wasn't sure if I was going to finish it or not. However, I finally got my inspiration back, and so here I am with another chapter. Hopefully the next one won't be quite so long in coming... 

Sailor Moon and its characters do not belong to me.  
Warnings: possibly non-canon pairings, possible OOC, minimal hints of shoujo ai  
Author's Note: I have reached the conclusion that this entire thing was probably spawned by me reading too much Marmalade Boy. 

Plots and Consequences  
By Rapunzel 

Chapter 6: Dubious Progress 

"Setsuna-san, may I speak with you for a moment?" 

Startled, Setsuna turned around to behold Mamoru studying her very seriously. "Why, of course," she answered, rather surprised that he should ask her. 

She half expected him to simply launch into conversation right there, but he didn't. Instead his eyes flicked briefly around them, taking in the park and the group in it. The park was the chosen site of their latest get-together, and it was currently bustling with activity. Minako had managed to round up most of the others for a game of volleyball, and she was now arguing good naturedly with Haruka about whether or not the ball was in bounds. Michiru watched from the sidelines, having gotten out of the game by virtue of her shoes, which were not at all suited to such activities. Usagi had also escaped and was standing chatting with Seiya. Mamoru's eyes lingered on the pair, and Setsuna suddenly thought she knew what the impending conversation was going to be about. 

"I doubt that any of them can hear us from here," she said quietly, hoping to prod him into speaking. 

Mamoru sighed heavily. "Doesn't it bother you?" he asked her suddenly. 

He didn't need to say what "it" was; he could only be referring to the interaction between Seiya and Usagi. "I suppose it does," she said quietly. 

"You suppose it does?" Mamoru looked at her incredulously. "There's no 'suppose' about it! How can you be taking this so calmly? Your boyfriend is practically cheating on you!" 

"And what would you have me do about that?" she asked, not without sympathy. "I doubt that getting upset and making a scene is going to help." 

"I think you should break it off," he told her earnestly. 

"You haven't," she pointed out. 

Mamoru sighed heavily. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, she noted. "That's different. I'm not mad at Usagi. I have no reason to be, really. I mean, it's not like she treats him differently from anyone else. I just wish sometimes that she didn't have to be so damn nice to everyone." He sent another glare in Seiya's direction, making it plain that "everyone" really meant "Seiya." 

Setsuna also paused to observe the pair, not without foreboding. She never had managed to convince Seiya that he should pay more attention to her than Usagi at group get-togethers, and it irritated her more than she would have expected. At that moment, however, his attention was not focused on Usagi, but on Hotaru, who had run over and interrupted their conversation with vigorous energy. She tugged at Seiya's arm, pulling him towards the volleyball game, evidently trying to entice him to join in. Setsuna frowned; that was rather odd behavior on Hotaru's part. 

"Have you talked to Usagi about this?" she asked finally. 

"No," he said wearily. "Not really. What am I going to do, ask her to be mean to him? Like I said, it's not her, it's just... Well, you understand." He sent her a rather hopeful look as though asking her to confirm the last part of his statement. 

"Yes," she said simply, "I understand." 

He turned to look at her then and gave her a tired smile, and Setsuna half expected to catch her breath. He was actually looking at **her**, smiling at **her**. It was unheard of. Blue eyes, crinkling slightly at the corners, were focused on her. Blue eyes and dark hair, they would always represent the epitome of beauty in her mind. And yet... And yet there was something wrong. She couldn't have said just what, but something was off. She didn't find herself catching her breath as she thought she would have to. That almost painful feeling in her chest that she got when he looked at her was still there, but it was lessened, dampened somehow. She didn't understand, but she returned his smile, still happy for the attention. 

Goodness knew she received little enough of it.

* * *

Setsuna wondered what, if anything, she ought to say to Seiya about her conversation. He would doubtless have interpreted it as progress on their part, but she wasn't so sure. Despite the fact that Mamoru's reaction seemed to fit in with Seiya's overall plan, Setsuna did not really feel as though she'd made progress. The entire encounter just left her feeling thoroughly confused, both about Mamoru and about herself. Why had it felt so wrong earlier to have him smile at her like that? It must be her conscience, she decided, kicking in to tell her that this plan of hers would end up hurting both Mamoru and Usagi. 

That evening, as she and Seiya walked back to her house from the park by themselves, she puzzled over it. Haruka and Michiru had gone ahead, taking Hotaru with them and leaving her and Seiya to themselves, but the two of them weren't really talking, as she was still too focused on the episode earlier in the day. She was still debating whether or not to mention it to Seiya when he took the decision out of her hands. 

"I noticed you talking to Mamoru earlier," he said without preamble, and there was a faint note of dislike in his voice when he said Mamoru's name. 

"Yes," she answered, surprised that he had noticed. She didn't elaborate, however, not entirely sure of what she wanted to say. 

"Well," he prompted after a moment of silence, "what did he say to you?" 

He sounded faintly irritated, and Setsuna wasn't sure why. Irritated with her, perhaps, for not filling him in immediately. But he shouldn't be. She didn't want him to be. "Not much," she evaded with a shrug. 

Seiya gave her a look that told her he wasn't buying that one. 

"He told me that I should break things off with you," she told him. 

Seiya gave a weird little half smile. "Everyone seems to think so, apparently. What else did he say?" 

"Well, he's definitely jealous," Setsuna said, "but he seems to be more irritated with you than with Usagi." 

"That's natural," Seiya said with a shrug. 

"That's not how it's supposed to work," she reminded him sternly. 

"Yeah, well you're not exactly following the plan either, are you?" he shot back. 

"Am I not?" she asked, surprised. 

"How friendly have you managed to get with Mamoru so far?" he asked. 

She stiffened at that, her earlier confusion coming back to haunt her. She wasn't sure how friendly she had been with Mamoru, and suddenly, she wasn't sure just how friendly she wanted to be with him. /What is the matter with you?/ she asked herself. /This is what you've always wanted; if you hesitate now, you'll screw the whole thing up./ Aloud, in response to his inquiry, she simply said, "A common bond has been established." 

If anything, Seiya's frown deepened at that comment, and Setsuna found herself getting mildly exasperated. What did he want from her anyway? He said he wanted her to follow the plan, but then seemed displeased when she implied that she was doing so. Maybe he had sensed her doubts. Or maybe... 

"Hey." Seiya's voice interrupted her thoughts. "We're here." 

Looking up, she saw with mild surprise that they had indeed reached her house. Despite, or possibly because of her turmoil, the walk had seemed shorter than usual. With that thought in mind, she turned to Seiya and asked, "Are you coming in?" 

He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "It probably wouldn't be a good idea. After the way I acted today, I'll bet Michiru and Haruka have a few things to say to me, most of them not nice." 

His answer disappointed her, and she didn't know why. It wasn't like she particularly wanted him to get into an argument with her roommates, but she was reluctant to see him go. Still, she nodded understandingly. After all, he was probably right. 

"Well," Seiya said, turning to head back down the street. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." 

Setsuna frowned. Tomorrow, what was tomorrow? Was there something going on then that she didn't know about, some event or get-together that she had forgotten? Then she shrugged. It didn't really matter. She'd see him tomorrow.

* * *

Setsuna was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling lost in thought when the knock came at her door. "Come in!" she called, sitting up. 

She was half expecting to see Haruka or Michiru, but when the door swung inward, it revealed Hotaru instead. The girl slipped quickly inside and shut the door behind her before padding over to the bed and sitting down next to her surrogate mother. She didn't say anything, but simply sat there, swinging her legs and toying with the edge of the bedspread, her large, violet eyes fixed on the wall. 

"Was there something you wanted, Hime-chan?" Setsuna asked, perplexed by this behavior. 

"Not really," Hotaru answered. "I just wanted to see if there was anything you wanted to say. You looked a little confused when you came in earlier." 

Setsuna studied the girl sitting before her. Hotaru looked so young and small and childlike that it was easy to forget sometimes just how intelligent and observant she was. "I suppose I was," she admitted. 

Hotaru's gaze moved from the wall and fixed on her, seeking further details, but Setsuna didn't really feel like providing any. Instead, she changed the subject. "I noticed you talking to Seiya earlier." 

Hotaru smiled, seeming quite pleased with herself. "I got him to come play with us." 

"I should have thought that you'd leave him alone, since he was so focused on Usagi-chan." 

"But Setsuna-mama," Hotaru protested. "He shouldn't be focused on Usagi-chan, he should be focused on you." 

"You think so, do you?" Setsuna said musingly. "Did you tell him that?" 

Hotaru shook her head. "I asked him if he wanted to get you to come play with us too, but he said you were talking with Mamoru and we should leave you alone. He didn't sound very happy," she added, looking, if anything, even more pleased. 

Setsuna frowned. Just what in the world was going on in that child's head? "Hotaru-chan, what exactly are you playing at?" she asked sternly. 

Hotaru turned wide, guileless eyes on her. "But Setsuna-mama, I'm not 'playing' at anything." 

Setsuna gave her a slightly disbelieving look. 

"But I'm not!" Hotaru protested. "I'm very serious about what I'm doing." 

"And what would that be?" Setsuna asked. 

Hotaru made a face. "I can't tell you," she said firmly. 

"And why not?" 

"Because it's a secret." 

Setsuna sighed heavily. For all Hotaru's intelligence, there were times when she simply fell back on childish stubbornness. It seemed that this was one of those times. "Not even a clue?" she persisted. 

Hotaru shook her head with conviction. 

"That doesn't seem very fair," Setsuna said. 

Hotaru was saved from having to answer by another knock at the door. Haruka's voice, muffled by the wood, said, "Michiru sent me up to tell you dinner's ready." 

"We'll be right there," Setsuna answered. Casting one last searching look at Hotaru, she rose and went to go wash up. She would find out what it was the girl was planning, but she was going to have to figure it out on her own. 

Tbc...

* * *

Author's Notes: Argh! I hate writing Mamoru; I'm never sure if I have him in character or not. 


	7. Confrontations and Confusion

Sailor Moon and its characters do not belong to me.

Warnings: possibly non-canon pairings, possible OOC, minimal hints of shoujo ai

Author's Note: I realize that it has been an obscenely long time since I updated this. I was essentially guilt-tripped into writing the next chapter by Bellanee chan.

Plots and Consequences

By Rapunzel

Chapter 7: Confrontations and Confusion

Her conversation with Mamoru, however brief, seemed to have an odd effect on Seiya. Setsuna had thought that he would take Mamoru's attitude as proof that his constant attentions to Usagi hadn't hurt his plan any. If anything, she expected him to redouble the attention he paid to the princess. However, the results were just the opposite. Rather than insisting that they go to hang out with the others, Seiya seemed to decide to concentrate once more on making their "relationship" believable. He came by the house to visit her, despite the chilly reception he almost inevitably received from Haruka, and they would often go out walking together or eat dinner together. Consequently, it was a little while before their next large get-together with the inner senshi.

The occasion finally did occur, however. The gathering was proposed innocently enough. Makoto had gone on a baking spree for some reason only known to herself, and left with an excess of baked goods, she decided that the best way to get rid of them was to invite everyone else over to her place and ply them with sweets. Usagi was hardly the only one in the group with a sweet tooth, and the others agreed to meet there willingly enough.

Setsuna accepted the invitation with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. She and Seiya would naturally be appearing together, and she wondered if the progress they seemed to have made previously would be apparent this time. She also wondered, with a sense of gloomy dread, whether Seiya would once again spend all of his time hanging on Usagi.

As it turned out, however, the opportunity for Seiya to forsake her again didn't arise. Much to everyone's surprise, Mamoru arrived at Makoto's place without Usagi. He informed them that she had caught a slight cold and didn't feel well enough to attend, but that she had sent him along to tell them that they should continue with the party as planned.

"I'm afraid that I'll be leaving a little early though," he told Makoto apologetically as he explained all of this to the others. "I really should go and check up on her after this."

"We should all go," Ami suggested.

"Yeah," Minako agreed enthusiastically. "Maybe make her a get well card and deliver it to her."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Michiru said. "I'm sure she'd appreciate the company."

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Makoto said. "I've got paper and markers and scissors and things. We can eat while we get started on the card."

Everyone agreed enthusiastically to this, and soon they were clustered around the table, eating cake and cookies and arguing over paper color. Setsuna put her two cents worth in, and then simply stood back and ate her piece of cake while watching the others cut out shapes of paper to be glued on. It was decided that Michiru, who had the most elegant handwriting, would do the actual inscription in the card and then everyone else would sign it. However, everyone had an idea for beautifying the card, and they all seemed eager to draw or paste something onto it, including Seiya.

Setsuna was still standing back and smiling at the enthusiasm displayed by everyone when she realized that she had company. Mamoru had sidled over to stand next to her and was also watching the group.

"Aren't you going to help them?" she asked in surprise. "I should have thought you would be the first to jump at the idea."

Mamoru just smiled. "I already was the first," he said. "I gave Usagi my get well wishes earlier this morning. I was just wondering why you're standing over here by yourself."

Setsuna grimaced vaguely. "With all the crowd around the table, I'm not sure I'd fit. Besides, when it comes to design projects, I can be a little controlling sometimes. They'd probably rather have me wait over here and simply sign the card when they're done instead of hanging over their shoulders and kibitzing."

"Seiya seems rather eager to help out," Mamoru observed, his smile transitioning into a frown.

"So does everyone else," Setsuna said mildly.

"Have you talked to him about his behavior?" Mamoru asked her suddenly.

Setsuna hesitated, considering how to answer that. "Yes," she said slowly. "Though I'm not sure he was really listening to me."

"All the more reason for you to drop him," Mamoru said.

He was right, but Setsuna suddenly found that she didn't especially like the idea of dropping Seiya. She had been investing quite a lot of her time in him lately, and the idea of cutting off all contact between them was somewhat repulsive. Besides, it would be completely counter to Seiya's plan.

Mamoru had been watching her carefully. "You're not going to, are you?" he asked.

She shook her head vaguely. "I wouldn't have thought you really wanted me to," she said. "If I leave Seiya, that leaves him free to pursue Usagi even more."

"I'm not sure he could do it more than he already has," Mamoru replied, a note of distaste in his voice. "And I was more thinking of what would be better for you. We're a little worried, Usagi and I, about the way he treats you. Sometimes it seems like the two of you are fine, but whenever he's around her, I wonder."

That surprised her a little. She had already heard concern expressed from Usagi, and she would have expected that, since Usagi was the sort who always felt concern for the potential pain of others. But hearing the sentiment coming from Mamoru was a little unexpected. Encouraging, but unexpected.

"Thank you for your concern," she said finally.

"No need to thank me," he said, giving her the charming smile she always associated with him. Oddly, it once again failed to elicit the strong reaction in her that she remembered. "We're allies, after all, you and I. We both want the same thing; for Seiya to get his act together and leave Usagi alone."

Setsuna nodded a little. Yes, that would be nice. But really, she shouldn't think that way. After all, if the plan worked, Seiya would end up not only pursuing Usagi but actually catching her. Setsuna frowned at the thought. That was how things were supposed to go, but she couldn't quite resign herself to the idea.

Before she could contemplate too much on the subject, however, they were interrupted by Seiya himself.

"Hey," he said by way of a greeting as he walked over to join them. "I just noticed you two standing over here by yourselves. Why aren't you over with the rest of us?"

The question was reasonable enough, but there was something odd about the way he said it. His voice, Setsuna noted, held a faint undercurrent of hostility.

Mamoru smiled at him benignly. "We were just talking about relationships and that sort of thing," he said. The strange note was in his voice as well, belying the mild expression on his face.

"Really." Was it her imagination, or had Seiya's voice hardened a bit? "I can't imagine the two of you had much to talk about then."

"Oh, we had plenty to talk about," Mamoru said, his smile slipping slightly as he narrowed his eyes at Seiya.

Seiya responded by moving a little closer to her, partially inserting himself between her and Mamoru. "Well, I'm sorry to interrupt then," he said, not sounding sorry at all.

"If you were sorry, you wouldn't have done it," Mamoru replied.

"Weren't you saying you'd have to leave early anyway?" Seiya said rather pointedly. "Maybe I interrupted you just in time. I'm sure you need to get back to check up on Usagi."

Mamoru had indeed said that, but he bristled at Seiya's tone. "I don't need you to tell me what to do and when to leave," he snapped. "I have as much of a right to be here as you do. More, in fact."

Seiya's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't say that," he hissed. "I'm not one to stay where I'm not welcome, but just because you don't want me here doesn't mean I have to leave. You're not the only one here whose opinion matters." As he said it, he slipped an arm around Setsuna's waist, drawing her in closer to him as if to assert that she at least was in favor of him staying.

Setsuna looked back and forth between the two of them, feeling rather like she was caught in the middle of a minefield. One wrong step could generate an explosion at any minute. While if called upon to say so she would have agreed that Seiya had a right to be there, she was at a loss to explain his behavior. He was naturally not on the best of terms with Mamoru, but he had never been this openly hostile before. Pent up jealousy seemed to be rearing its ugly head at last, she decided. After all, Mamoru and Seiya had always been opponents when it came to Usagi; it was really no surprise that they eventually ended up in a direct argument. But Usagi wasn't there...

Suddenly, it hit her in a brilliant flash of clarity. Seiya was jealous because of **her**.

The revelation struck Setsuna like a ton of bricks, and she simply stood and stared at the two of them in wonder and astonishment. On the one hand, she knew that she should separate them. At the rate they were going, they might actually get into a fight, and that would be bad for everyone involved. But at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to intervene. She was too busy enjoying the warm and fluttering sensation in her chest. She had never made a man jealous before, and wasn't it a sad commentary on her life that the idea made her world spin in a completely different way than it normally did.

Fortunately for the everyone, perhaps, Haruka noticed the rising tension level and decided to intervene. "Hey you two," she said, "Are you going to sign the card or not?"

"I don't need to," Mamoru said, shooting a challenging look at Seiya. "I already got Usagi a card of my own." Nevertheless, he did retreat slightly, leaving Setsuna standing next to Seiya with his arm around her waist and Haruka standing nearby. Haruka turned her gaze to Seiya, who almost reluctantly removed his arm and said, "I'll sign it." He walked over to the table, and Haruka trailed him with her eyes. Then she turned back to Setsuna.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Setsuna nodded, unable to express herself better than that. Was she okay? Why would Haruka ask such a silly question. Of course she was okay, she was better than okay. She had made Seiya jealous. **Her**, not Usagi. And it suddenly occurred to her that she really wanted him to be jealous, even just a little, not only because of the ego boost it gave her, but because jealousy implied the presence of another, stronger emotion. But wait, wasn't she supposed to be in love with Mamoru?

Haruka, observing the slightly dazed look on her face, took her by the arm and guided her over to the table. "Come on, you'll want to sign too," she said.

"Mmhm," Setsuna agreed vaguely, allowing herself to be steered. As she approached the table, she noticed that Hotaru was sitting watching her. Catching her eye, the girl smiled at her in a very self-satisfied way.

'One of these days,' Setsuna thought, her mind still in a bit of a jumble, 'I am going to have to figure out how to tell what on earth that child is thinking.'

/-/-/-/

As it turned out, they did not actually see Usagi to deliver the card in person. Upon showing up at her house, her mother informed them that she was napping and shouldn't be disturbed, but agreed to convey their sentiments, along with the card, to her daughter. Setsuna felt a little disappointed that she was not to see her friend, but at the same time, she felt relieved. The warm feeling that had come from Seiya's earlier behavior still lingered, and she wasn't sure if it could have stood up to watching him flirt with Usagi.

After the partially unsuccessful visit, the party split up, and Setsuna once again found herself being walked home by Seiya. For a few minutes they stepped along together in silence until they were well out of earshot of any of the others.

"What was Mamoru really talking to you about earlier?" he asked, still looking a little put out.

"He was still trying to convince me to dump you," she told him truthfully, a small smile playing across her lips. The idea seemed a little silly to her now. Dump Seiya, just when it seemed that he was starting to change his mind about things? Never mind how much her mind had ended up changing.

"What did you tell him?" Seiya asked, still looking disgruntled.

"I didn't give him an answer," she replied truthfully. "Why, do you think I should have said yes?" The last part was not asked quite seriously, since she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

"Hmph," Seiya grumbled, scowling at the pavement.

His grumpy mood only seemed to fuel her more cheerful one, however. "Why, Seiya," she challenged lightly. "For someone whose plan seems to be working, you look awfully upset."

"It's not working quite the way I wanted it to," he admitted.

"Well, how did you expect it to work then?"

Seiya opened his mouth as if to answer, found that he really didn't have a good explanation, and closed it again. "It's just not going the way I thought it would," he said finally.

It wasn't going the way Setsuna would have envisioned it either, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to care at this point. She was beginning to glimpse another way that things could turn out, and she thought she liked that possible future better. And there would be no guilt from trying to ruin her princess' love life.

"That's not a bad thing, it is?" she mused aloud.

Seiya cast her a sharp sideways glance. "Look, if we want this to work, we have to stay focused. Remember that."

Setsuna knew that perfectly well. However, she no longer wanted things to go the way they had initially planned them. And Seiya sounded more like he was trying to remind himself than her. If that was any indication, he was having second thoughts as well.

His tone of voice and the way he still seemed unhappy about her earlier conversation with Mamoru coupled with the memory of his jealousy earlier emboldened Setsuna to do something she had never before done. When they reached the front steps of the house she shared with the others, she leaned over and lightly pressed her lips to his. After a moment, she pulled back to observe the effect.

Seiya was staring at her wide eyed and a little stunned. Somehow the pole axed expression on his face only made her feel even better, and she gave him one of her rare, bright smiles as she said, "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Uh... yeah," Seiya agreed, still looking a little dazed. "Tomorrow."

Satisfied, Setsuna nodded to herself and went inside, leaving him to contemplate a whole new range of possibilities.

Tbc...


End file.
